We met up with Ian at Social Media Marketing World earlier this month, and he had TONS of amazing insight to share about the state of live video content and how he’s using Switchboard Live to fuel his digital marketing strategy.

What’s Your Advice for Getting Over the Fear of Live Streaming?

Stage fright isn’t exclusive to the stage, as anyone who’s ever gone live from the comfort and safety of their home will attest. Fortunately, there are folks like Ian out there keen to boost a streamer’s confidence and arm them with the tools they need to make an engaging live broadcast and enable them to sell to their audience.

“Remember, it’s about your audience,” says Ian. “There’s people out there who really do want to hear from you, and you just need to be consistent in putting out content. You might not get much traction at the start, but keep on focusing on that.”

Ian says he often recommends people start with Instagram Stories when they’re trying to get more comfortable in front of a camera, noting, “They only last for 24 hours, so what’s the worst that could happen?”

What Are Your Live Streaming Must-Haves?

Live streamers can sometimes be guilty of over-complicating things when it comes to setup and equipment. Ian’s quick to note it’s important to remember the basics, stressing the necessity of a strong Internet connection with good upload speeds.

Before advancing to a “next level” desktop setup, which can be a costly investment and requires software in addition to equipment, Ian recommends live streamers gain confidence in their abilities by broadcasting via a smartphone.

_“It’s really about your engagement in front of the camera and bringing in other things, like titles and graphics. Make things more fun and engaging!” _

What’s a Major “Don’t” When It Comes to Social Media Marketing?

Ian kind of groaned when we asked him this question, because “there are so many.” He’s a self-proclaimed geek and loves automation, but says people can sometimes get so carried away by the tech that they forget about the human element.

“Years ago, I thought it was a really cool idea to send automated direct messages [via Twitter] to people… And then I thought ‘NO! That’s a really bad thing to do!’ because it’s taking the human side of things.”

Live video brings the human element back into the social media experience and builds relationships. Ian says that’s why he loves it so much. “Make sure you engage with your audience and that you’re not a one-way communication machine.”

Is Content Marketing Dead in 2018?

“I would agree if we’re talking about the low-quality content,” he says, criticizing the growing amount of bot-produced content. “I’m a big believer in writing quality content that really changes people’s lives, helps people, serves people – as opposed to just thinking about the stats and getting stuff out quickly.”

What’s Your Favorite Switchboard Live Feature?

“The idea of being able to broadcast to multiple platforms is really, really cool and important,” says Ian. “I’ve got a powerful computer, but it’s not quite powerful enough to be able to broadcast to all these different things … all at the same time.”